Holistic Tips for Breastfeeding (My Honest Experience)

Many of the moments surrounding breastfeeding are so priceless and sacred to me: when Miles intuitively found my breast after delivery…the peaceful mornings in bed with his first feed of the day…when he looks up and makes direct eye contact with me while nursing…

And while these are the moments I treasure so much — 

they’re definitely not the ONLY type of breastfeeding moments.

nursing is beautiful (but it’s not always easy…)

Nursing CAN be beautiful, challenging, bonding, isolating, intuitive, frustrating, painful, joyful, exhausting, fulfilling…

or all of the above.

Or none of the above.

Breastfeeding can be a very natural, effortless process at times. But it can also come with a lot of challenges. Engorgement, clogged ducts, difficulty with positioning, latch, etc. — the list goes on! So today I wanted to outline a few concrete things that have helped me have a positive experience with breastfeeding. 

my experience with breastfeeding:

Here are some FAQs of my breastfeeding experience:

• How has breastfeeding been going for you? Honestly, really well. *knocks on wood* From the get-go, we’ve had a strong latch, I felt prepared going into it (I think thanks to my nursing background and the fact that I put in a LOT of time asking questions to fellow moms, reading about it, working with lactation consultants, etc.), and it’s been relatively stress-free experience. Of course, there are the normal challenges — engorgement, leaking breasts, clogged ducts, etc., but I am happy to say it’s been quite smooth & intuitive for us. And I feel lucky! Because a lot of it just boils down to chance! I am very thankful for my positive breastfeeding journey, as I know that’s not everyone’s experience. Some women do “everything right” and still aren’t able to breastfeed how they had hoped. I am grateful that my experience with nursing has been quite positive.

• What’s been the hardest part? I think just the TIME. I mean, how often do you commit to doing something EVERY FEW HOURS FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE??? Like every few hours for MONTHS at a time. Like, that’s a lot — a lot of time, energy, and planning. I think the mindset shift of constantly having to plan my day in 2ish hour chunks around his feeds is the hardest part. I am more of a ~free bird~ mentally, so having to be more scheduled and prepared for feeding around the clock can feel a bit draining and annoying sometimes. While I prepped mentally for this and it hasn’t been a huge deal, that definitely is the biggest challenge for a productive gal like me.
  

• What’ s been my favorite part? I honestly LOVE breastfeeding. Like it feels so divinely connected & raw & animalistic & nurturing & peaceful & just wow. Like watching my body FEED him, provide EVERY nutrient he needs to thrive, seeing him reach out for me and have his mouth find me intuitively… I don’t even have the words. I am someone who has always been fascinated by breastfeeding and I’ve always found it so beautiful, so I’ve really loved experiencing it firsthand. I think I tear up at least once per day while nursing, tbh. (WHAT hormones??? hahahha.) Like, that first feed of the day where Adam brings him to me and we nurse in bed while the sun comes up is truuuuly the most peaceful, blissful part of my day. And while not every session is sunshine & rainbows, I really do feel that oxytocin rush and just feel so grateful that I am able to nourish my child in this way. It feels very divinely feminine and I really love that nourishing, mothering energy.
  

• Does he take the bottle? While the breast is our primary form of feeding (about 90% of the time), he does take the bottle (filled with breastmilk) the other 10% of the time. We’ll utilize the bottle when I’m away from home, when I need a break, someone else is watching him, etc. I am soooo thankful he takes the bottle well. It’s such peace of mind and a great option for the times where the breast isn’t ideal. I know that’s not the case for every baby, but he personally did great with it.
  

• When did you introduce the bottle? Okay, everyone has their own opinions on this but intuitively it made sense to introduce it earlier. He had a GREAT latch at the breast so I wasn’t that nervous about messing that up (I would’ve been more cautious about the bottle if he hadn’t established a great breast latch yet). But we ended up introducing the bottle at 2 weeks and it went great! So, Adam will just give him pumped breastmilk in the bottle. From that moment on, we can kind of interchange bottle or breast however we like and he adapts! While a lot of lactation consultants recommend waiting (in order to really establish the breast latch), I am personally glad we did it early because I feel like he got used to it right away and it was no biggie moving forward.
  

• Favorite breastfeeding positions? In the early days, I LOVED side-lying and did that pretty much exclusively. It felt most easy and natural to me and I still do this during nighttime feeds in bed. Otherwise, I do pretty much the standard seated crossbody for a majority of my feeds. (When my milk is coming in fast I will also lean back a little so that the milk doesn’t flow as quickly.)
  

• How do I stock my breast milk? We bought a chest freezer on craigslist and we keep my milk in there. I really strive to have a big supply as it feels FREEING to me to know we have a big stock up of milk and that I could leave the house at any time and know that there is breastmilk available. One thing I’m really glad I did — in the early days where my milk supply was WILD and hadn’t regulated yet, I used the Haakaa every single time and got about one extra bag of breastmilk per day to build up our stockpile early. Now, I pump an extra session about once every 2-3 days just to keep contributing to the stock. (Of course, when I am away from Miles I also pump.)
  

• Any random challenges? Ha, well one is that Miles has a STRONG preference for one of my boobs. Hahahah, I always introduce both but he will often whine and refuse to feed on my left — he just LOVES the right side, hahahha. And while he WILL feed on my left, I would say 1 out of every 3 times he just flat-out refuses. I have tried EVERY position, ensuring that nothing is clogged, different ways of holding, positioning the breast, etc. and sometimes he just does NOT want it. So random. So that left side can often get engorged, clogged ducts, lower milk supply, etc. when he refuses it! Kind of funny, but can be really frustrating when I just want things even and my left side is uncomfortable, ya know???
  

• How long do I plan to breastfeed? While my intention is at least a year (if not longer), I also trust my body. If my milk supply dries up, something happens, it’s adding more stress, etc., I am willing to adjust course and end early. But my intention is about a year or more!

specific things that helped my breastfeeding journey

Before we dive in, I want to quickly mention that I truly, truly recommend working with your provider! This is not medical advice, it’s simply a list of what I did and what worked for me.

Okay nowwwww let’s dive in.

While I will go ALL into detail below, you can shop most of the items in one convenient place in my Amazon storefront! :)

lactation consultant

First things first, I highly highly recommend at least meeting with a lactation consultant once — just think of it as a one-time investment that can completely alter your relationship with breastfeeding and how successful it is. I actually saw a lactation consultant multiple times before Miles even arrived because it was covered by my insurance, so I’d reach out to your insurance and see if they cover any lactation courses! It was all virtual and sooooo helpful.

I also met with a lactation consultant in the hospital and there are some tips she gave me during that time that I still think about every day when positioning Miles on the breast. Again, ONE VISIT can leave you with an insight that will help your breastfeeding forever!

Many parts of breastfeeding are intuitive and it may be easy and natural from the get-go, but there are definitely tips that everyone can learn that help with less pain, better positioning, and better latch. It can be so, so worth it to meet with them (they are the literal experts!).

haakaa

They call it “liquid gold” for a reason, right??? EVERY ounce counts, and this little silicone cup allows you to effortlessly collect your breastmilk! You guys, I could not. live. without. this thing.

The MVP of my breastfeeding journey. This simple little gadget allows you to collect milk and passively “pump” your breast that you are not using to feed. 

My favorite aspect of it is that I will literally get OUNCES AND OUNCES of breastmilk from this and it doesn’t take any extra time or pumping sessions to collect!

I simply just throw it on whenever Miles feeds, and it has added up SO much. Not to mention, I don’t have to clean any tedious pumping parts. (We LOVE a time-efficient hack, yes???) So simple yet so impactful. OBSESSED. WITH. THIS. 

milk catcher

So although I love the Haakaa for collecting letdown, it does have some suction to it. So if you suffer from oversupply or you don’t want that extra suction, you can also get a milk catcher which is just a kind of plastic cup you put in your bra and excess milk can be collected more passively (no “suction” pressure like the haakaa). Another great option if you don’t want to promote more milk supply, but want to collect your letdown

elvie stride breast pump

For my pump I did the Elvie Stride. I am obsessed with this pump. If you’re someone who doesn’t want to be tethered to a wall or outlet, this pump is great. You can literally just put it in your bra, wear it, walk around, it’s totally hands free and it’s really worked great for me. I’ll use this to pump while I clean, pump in the car, working, etc. This is so discreet, it literally just looks like you have a bigger chest than normal. It’s kind of shaped like a breast so it seamlessly fits into your bra and collects milk while you can walk around. Total game changer!!

That said, it is the ONLY pump i’ve ever used. Some people say they don’t get as much milk out with the Elvie Stride as they do a more traditional pump, but I can’t speak to that. Personally, I have pretty solid output each time I pump — but I don’t know if it’d be even better with a different model!

NOURISH yourself

If you want to fuel your babe, you gotta fuel yourself first, mama! This means eating enough, listening to hunger cues, having “complete’ meals and snacks (protein, fiber, healthy fat), and FUELING your body with beautiful, nourishing ingredients! For me, it’s really motivating to think of the fact that whatever I eat, baby kind of eats (in a way), and I only want the best, most nourishing milk for my little guy! You may find you need to eat more, have larger portions, eat different food groups, etc. I personally noted that my body is craving a lot of healthy fats (breastmilk is fat-dominant) and a few more complex carbs while nursing. On days where I maybe don’t eat enough (on accident, not intentionally), I notice less milk output. Fueling yourself TRULY makes such a difference and eating enough is huge for 1) your recovery 2) making enough milk and 3) feeling NOURISHED in these postpartum days. Don’t overcomplicate it — but just look for quality ingredients, follow your hunger cues, and have maybe a few more snacks/larger portions than you’re used to. You’ve got this, mama!

oatmeal bites

Oh my gosh. Oats are shown to help with milk supply, so the way I’ve been getting it in is with Heavenly Hunks, these delicious chocolate chip oatmeal bites. While I had every intention of making my own oatmeal bites, just the reality of postpartum is that I don’t have the time or energy to be home-making oatmeal energy bites every day. These are so amazing — they’re from Amazon and I order a few bags at a time and eat a few per day and I’ve had really good milk supply. 

these hydration electrolyte packets

You all know I am the hydration queen, and this little electrolyte packet is my savior every. single. morning. Think of it like a clean-ingredient Powerade! Hydration is always so important to me, but even MORE SO with breastfeeding. With nursing, it honestly feels challenging to keep up with hydration needs.

However, this lil packet of electrolytes (without added sugar) helps my hydration during these postpartum days. I can *truly* notice a difference in my urine color, energy, annnnd the AMOUNT of breast milk produced on the days I happened to skip taking this. For me, staying properly hydrated has been SO impactful for my milk production.

continuing your prenatal & replenishing your nutrient stores!

Okay, going off of our discussion on fueling yourself— we also need to talk about REPLENISHING yourself.

Because, mama— you DID IT. You gave birth. Your baby is here. and you may think it’s time to throw that prenatal bottle into the trash… but hold tight!

Because your body STILL needs support. Arguably, more than ever. Especially if you’re breastfeeding.

Your body is recovering from both pregnancy and labor, depleted of nutrients (from both pregnancy and breastfeeding), and needs a bit of help to help replenish your vitamins, minerals, and nutrient status.

Which is exactly why I have been loving this packet of POST-natal vitamins, designed specifically for this unique stage. (affiliate discount: KATEESKURI20)

This is the exact same brand I used throughout pregnancy as my prenatal— because the ingredients are actually very bio-available, readily used by the body, and in evidence-backed doses. Not to mention, they design each specific vitamin packet for *each* stage of the pregnancy journey (pre-conception, 1st trimester, 2nd tri, 3rd… AND postpartum). Ya love to see it!!!

I personally plan to take the postpartum “MOM” packet for the entirety of the time I am breastfeeding! It’s no secret that breastfeeding and the creation of breast milk requires a LOT of energy, nutrients, and strife from our bodies— and it’s important that we supplement our body so that we can stay strong, nourished, and adequately fueled.

Basically, it’s one simple packet per day that has everything you need for supporting body while breastfeeding) You can find the packet here and save 20% with my affiliate code KATEESKURI20 :) Love love love this company for all of your supplement needs— preconception all the way to postpartum!

From pre-coneption to pregnancy to postpartum, they’ve got you covered! Save 20% on *any* perelel product with the code KATEESKURI20

sterling silver nipple covers

One thing that was a gaaaame changer for me at the beginning of breastfeeding were these sterling silver nipple covers to help soothe sore nipples. Going into pregnancy, my holistic self KNEW I wanted these for the postpartum period.

It may seem weird, but sterling silver is actually a powerful anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, etc. and can be very soothing to irritated skin. All you do is put these over your nipples after feeding and it helps to soothe and protect the nipples. 

I used these SO religiously at first and I genuinely did not have any issues having my nipples adjust to breastfeeding (which doesn’t seem like the norm… people told me it is sooo painful, but it literally did not happen to me). I think the fact that I was SO consistent with these starting right away saved my nipples from unnecessary pain, irritation, & cracking as I began my breastfeeding journey (I literally brought them to the hospital with me!). 

ugh, one of those MAGICAL breastfeeding moments. while every breastfeeding moment is certainly not this #blissful, whenever I get to breastfeed out in nature, I truly feel like mother earth or something, hahhaha. it’s my FAV.

nontoxic nipple balm

Going off of the silver cups, this nontoxic nipple balm was the thing that REALLY helped support my nipples as I adjusted to breastfeeding. Similar to the silver cups, I used this RELIGIOUSLY at first to help be proactive and protect my nipples and get “ahead” of any irritation — but now, I just use it as needed. Since baby is feeding right on this area of skin, finding a nontoxic option was extra important to me. This provided great moisture and soothing properties to the nipples, and I really liked it!

glass bottles

So for my personal breastfeeding toolkit, I did not want plastic bottles. I didn’t feel comfortable with the idea of heating up microplastics and all of the chemicals that are in plastic bottles, so glass was the option for me. I freaking love this nipple top — it’s designed to be shaped like the breast. I’ll breastfeed about 90% of the time and then Adam will bottle the other 10% or if I’m gone for the day. I do feel like a big reason Miles has been so great with bottling is this unique nipple shape. He’s been rocking it since, like, two weeks old and I think we have this glass bottle (and this nipple shape!) to thank.

this bottle warmer

This. Bottle. Warmer. PLEASE get this. Instead of the classic method of heating a hot cup of water and putting the bottle in it to warm it, this literally is like the easiest thing. You just put your bottle in, set it to how many ounces there are, and it will automatically warm it to the ideal temperature. It’s so easy, it looks so sleek on the counter, this is a must have if you are going to bottle because it will save you so much time. (That said, Adam and I don’t heat every bottle! We want him to be able to take cold temp milk if we are out and about, so we only use the bottle warmer every other time we give him a bottle so that he gets used to both cold and warm milk from the bottle.)

BPA free bags

While most breastmilk bags are just regular old plastic, I was intentional to pick a BPA-free option, and I REALLY like these. They “stand up” in the fridge (if you are gradually adding to it throughout the day like I do), they freeze flat, and have a really secure seal. A small thing, but since you will be using these all the time, getting a quality bag seems very worth it to me. I really, really like these. 

breastfeeding on the streets of france. my favorite thing about nursing is how PORTABLE it is and flexible — you don’t need any bottle, any supplies, anything — just you, your breast, and your babe.

this nursing bra

Finding a nursing bra that has good support, is comfortable on, and allows for easy nursing the skin is a MUST.

Here’s the thing — this one isn’t necessarily the easiest for nursing (it doesn’t have a “clip”), but it still gets the job done!

But the reason I love it is I found this the most comfortable of my nursing bras (and it holds my Elvie Stride pump really well). Bonus: this was also my favorite bra during pregnancy when my chest was super swollen and sore. It’s SO comfy and the fabric is so soft (yet offers good support). EVERYONE has their own opinion nursing bras, so you do you! But these were personally my favorite.

sunflower lectin

This is a supplement you can take if you struggle with clogged ducts. Sunflower lectin is a natural phospholipid which is a fancy way of saying it’s a natural emulsifier and it can really help to break up clogged milk ducts. Kind of a boring one, but this can be really helpful if that’s something you’re experiencing!

(BONUS HOLISTIC HACK: using a gua sha stone on the breast can also really help to break up milk clogs!)

mother’s milk tea

Oh my gosh I love this tea. I genuinely feel like it helps with my milk supply. With a blend of fennel, anise, and coriander, it’s DELICIOUS but it can also help to promote lactation! So I have about a cup of this every day, and I actually introduced it in a moment where I was getting back to exercise and I felt my milk supply dipping. By introducing this I feel like my milk supply picked back up. Loooooove this stuff. 

breast warmer & massager 

Basically this is a little gadget you put on the breast while you’re pumping or feeding that kind of shakes the breast to help release milk. It’s also warm so it’s verrrrrrrrrry soothing. I will wear these mainly when I pump and I feel like it helps me pump at a higher volume because it kind of shakes the boob and gets the milk free, and it just feels really soothing and nice. Again not something you need, but something I really liked!

tap here to shop all my breastfeeding favs!

in closing

 Again, I know everyone’s breastfeeding journey is very different.

You can feel you did everything “right” and weren’t able to breastfeed how you wanted or maybe bottle feeding is better for you or formula is better for you.

However that looks is totally fine. (Like, really.)

These are just things that worked for *me* and I wanted to compile them into a list.

Enjoy!

Kate

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